Pajamas Media

160 Comments

1. david reid:

Ha Funny how the brits are quick to bash the US they need to look at there country a little bit, they are on the decline and are angry at the fact that there time has past as most europeans are and thats where a lot of the anti US comes from iam from australia and thank god that the US is like it is ,and may it stay that way and not end up a euro nanny state,

Feb 9, 2009 - 1:21 am 2. jvon:

I was going to bring up England’s treatment of the Irish, but I see from reading this report that they were actually a bunch of thugs (hairy thugs, apparently) who beat Chinese laborers, which I’m sure justified any maltreatment they received at the hands of the British.

Nothing to see here, carry on.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:04 am 3. David Thomson:

“Interviewing a modern-day Texan nationalist named Reva Rohe”

Huh? I live in Houston, Texas—and I have never heard of Reva Rohe. And what in hell is a modern-day Texan nationalist? I can assure you that most Texans are utterly aware of such weird individuals. They may represent 1/4th of 1 percent of the total citizenry. A so-called Texas nationalist couldn’t get elected dog catcher.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:07 am 4. Eric R.:

Did the BBC mention in this series the part where a racist, capitalist, neocon Jewish conspiracy controls America?

That way they can hit their two biggest enemies — Americans and Jews — in one shot.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:04 am 5. Eric R.:

Snarky comments aside, let me make a point here which will occur to most Americans — a documentary on our own government-funded network — PBS — which features the likes of the ranting, Jew-hating Bill Moyers, by the way — would have been just as nasty about the United States being a sewer of racism and oppression as anything on the BBC, since like all government funded media outlets, it is a propaganda tool of the far left.

The difference is that PBS is considered fringe here, and only far left kooks watch it.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:09 am 6. eon:

Hmmm, so many holes to pick, so little time.

1. Chinese laborers treated as inferiors who smoked opium? Google “Opium Wars”, Mr. Schama; opium only became a common drug in China because it was forced upon the culture by colonial powers who sought to keep China pacified, and who used military force to ensure this. The powers in question being France and Great Britain.

2. Slavery? Google “Middle Passage”. The African slave trade started with African tribes selling prisoners taken in internecine tribal wars to Arab traders, who in turn sold them to European traders, mainly Dutch and… British. This trade predated the existence of the United States by 150+ years, beginning with slaves being bought to work on plantations in the Crown colonies in the early 17th Century. To their credit, the Royal Navy joined in the anti-slavery blockade of the 1800s to put an end to the trade, after being challenged to do so by… the United States. Also, when slavery was outlawed in Britain in the 1820s, it was still quite legal to own slaves in the foreign colonies. Furthermore, while transporting slaves was illegal under British law after 1825, nearly half of the slave ships taken by the patrol in the next three decades were British-flagged, owned, and/or officered. The money was apparently simply too good to pass up.

3. As for “American bigotry”, name another nation that fought a civil war to abolish the mistreatment of any group solely based on their ethnicity.

Mr. Schama needs to go back to school, study World History again… and this time, actually pass the course.

clear ether

eon

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:11 am 7. Mary Jackson:

Simon Scharma is a lefty, and his “History of Britain” was similarly critical.

I’m not sure why Stephen Fry’s documentary is seen as anti-Americian. It was overwhelmingly positive. Fry showed a lively curiosity about every state, and there was only one he really didn’t like: Florida, or specifically Miami. Well, would all Americans feel at home in Florida? And he is an Englishman – Florida was too hot for him.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:39 am 8. Mary Jackson:

By the way, it is interesting that Carol Gould now claims to oppose selective reporting, in which unrepresentative weirdos are singled out and made much of, and their racism etc extrapolated to a whole country.

Who knew?

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:47 am 9. Roger Godby:

This series aired a few weeks ago in Japan. I watched all of it but it left a bad taste: there was clear reluctance to cite positives of America (I briefly wondered if it were a Canadian production), but “faith,” especially religious, was a recurring and generally positively portrayed and employed (if occasionally misunderstood) theme. You should have mentioned, however, that he concludes the series by stating that he himself is an immigrant. He doesn’t explain “immigrant,” however: naturalized US citizen, permanent resident, or something else?

Feb 9, 2009 - 4:22 am 10. Craig:

What country…what nation doesn’t have historical ‘warts’? The BBC is a wacked liberal voice much like NPR here.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:07 am 11. OscarSchneegans:

“America always had a future even in the darkest days of the Depression, Hooverville, Joe McCarthy, Watergate, and Hurricane Katrina. I do believe you have to have been born there to feel this faith in your bones.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! I’m a naturalized American citizen, born in Nicaragua, arrived in the US in 1983. My love and appreciation for my country is greater precicely because of my status as an immigrant. Most born American citizens take their liberty and oportunity for granted. I’m well aware of their uniqueness, and my time in the world’s hell holes with the US Army has made me desperately aware of their frailty.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:21 am 12. David H:

I take this as a left wing media attacking the USA. I did not see any of te programmes so can’t comment any more than that.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:22 am 13. quasar:

Colonial Brits brought slavery to this continent-Americans ended it.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:59 am 14. Don:

I am an American who has chosen to live in the UK for a variety of reasons, many of which were highlighted in the documentaries you’re all getting so upset about here. Face it: America has flaws – quit blaming the BBC for promoting what you guys see as ‘negative PR’ and get on with making (y)our country great again. Carry on like this and you’ll have Louis Theroux ‘investigating’ Pajamas Media before you can say whinge-whinge-whinge.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:06 am 15. anon:

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Feb 9, 2009 - 6:06 am 16. Blackwater:

I’m being completely honest when I say I’ve NEVER seen a SINGLE act of racism in my ENTIRE life and I’m 22. NOT ONE. And I bet most people under the age of 35 could say the same. I also live in Northern Virginia. If you saw the movie “Remember the Titans” that’s where a race battle in my area started between whites and blacks in the 60s. So apparently I live in the ground zero of American racism.

Yet I’m seen absolutely ZERO racism. I’ve never even really heard someone say nigger before. Maybe like twice and it was in a joking context. Never out of hate. I live in an extremely diverse neighborhood in what the Europeans seem to think is the evil racist and bigoted South. But there’s NO racism. And in fact the most racism I’VE seen has been racism towards WHITES.

It’s politically correct for everyone to make fun of and insult white people and we’re just supposed to laugh it off and not say anything in return. And to be honest it doesn’t really bother us. We brush it off and we don’t care. I don’t cry about it and hold protests and file lawsuits. People use racism as an excuse to under achieve.

And a lot of it is in their pairanoid minds since they’ve been indoctrinated with victomhood. I’m not saying there aren’t racists in this country. There’s racists in every country and in every race. In fact here are the only POSSIBLE cases of racism I’ve EVER seen in my life personally. And it was racism of black people against ME as a white person. I went to go guy some expensive boots at a local Sports Authority store when I was about 16.

And while I was trying them on a black store employee was just standing at the entrance of the isle with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face just staring at me. He wasn’t helping me or anything. He was making sure I didn’t steal them. So I got pissed off by the stores attitude and left. Another time I decided to buy some shoes strangely enough and I walked into a local Foot Locker and handed over two $50 dollar bills to a black cashier to pay for the shoes.

And the black cashier took my money with a look of disbelief on his face and examined the authenticity of my money for like five minutes holding it up to the light and everything making sure it was real. Now had I been black and both those store employees were white that would have gone down as an examples of racism in my mind. Just like I hear black comedians always say cabs don’t pull over for them.

It’s all in their heads. The real reason those black employees were messing with me was because I was 16 and people are just untrustworthy of kids in general and not because I was white most likely. But who knows. Maybe they hated white people. There is NO institutional racism in this country. If there was I would have seen it atleast once by now. I don’t know a single person who isn’t white who’s complained about discrimination and a crap ton of my friends aren’t white.

I’ve never seen anyone rejected from college or not gotten a job because of their race. Most of the black people I know are doing fine. The only people that are screwed up are the ones that make horrible life decisions. Not because of discrimination. It’s their own fault if they decide to play videogames after they get home from school instead of doing their homework and studying.

They act like their white teachers are erasing their correct answers on their tests and writing in wrong ones to hold them back. Give me a break. Leftists in general but especially European leftists have been brainwashed into hating Americans. They don’t know anything about this country. They all think we’re running around in KKK outfits and dying without healthcare as we pray for mircale cures in front of our President Bush shrines. It’s ridiculous.

And if you look at other minorities like asians they’re doing just fine. You don’t see too many of them living in ghettos or whining about racism. Why is that? Because asian parents seem to indoctrinate their kids with hard work and academic excellence. And instead of crying about racism they work hard in school and carry themselves well. Maybye black people living in ghetto neighborhoods should do the same? And I don’t hear a lot of white people who live in trailer parks cry about racism either.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:14 am 17. MarkD:

I’ll take America over the UK any day. No right to self defense, a shameful kowtowing to Muslim fanatics, and youth gangs terrorizing the populace daily while the Royals scandalize civilization.

Oh, that’s not all there is to the UK? Well, I get my knowledge from the television, so that’s enough for me.

/sarcasm

Don, (y)our country will do fine with you. Stay gone, and don’t vote, please.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:33 am 18. Jo:

I am puzzled. Why would we be thought to be “racist”? Is it because we don’t knowingly let terrorists come in as easily as Britain does? Wonder if the British would like us if we promised to try to be more like them? I want them to like us, it worries me all the time.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:35 am 19. marsouin:

“The difference is that PBS is considered fringe here, and only far left kooks watch it.”

Here in the DC area, the educated elite, the people who govern and influence US policy, are quite fond of PBS and NPR.

As to the BBC, I remember stumbling on to BBC radio, off of the PBS affiliate WETA, in the middle of its coverage of Durban I (UN Against “Racism”) several years ago. Mugabe, well known at the time as total thug, came to the podium to railed against Western racism for creating all the problems in his country. The audience which included International ANSWER, cheered wildly and enthusiastically. Even more to my , naïve, surprise, the BBC commentator was obviously very sympathetic to Mugabe.

Lastly, all the dysfunctional areas of the US that socialists point to as hellish, have ALL been created and managed for decades by American socialists and civil rights activists. And they NEVER get called out for it.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:37 am 20. Still Bill:

The BBC like 99% of the Mainstream Media in the U.S. are leftists shills, not journalists. They strut around with their elitist noses pointed skyward, believing their excrement doesn’t stink. The true test of a country is how many people are trying to get in, not out. In my humble opinion, the United States of America , even with her imperfections, is the greatest country on the face of Mother Earth. God Bless America!

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:44 am 21. VA Creole:

Schama is wrong: The University of Virginia DOES have a chapel.

http://www.virginia.edu/newcomb/facilities/chapel.html

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:14 am 22. submandave:

“[M]any Americans think Barack Obama is less than human … in redneck country” And where, exactly is that, since it isn’t marked on my map. The dehumanization of an individual based upon race is characteristic of an individual biggot, not the people who live in a specific location.

This assumed truism that the South, because we all know that’s what “redneck country” really means, is a hotbed of racists while the North is a paragon on tolerance and equality wears thin very quickly. The main difference I’ve observed between North and South is that a southern racist is more likely to be opne and honest about his stupidity while a northern racist will try harder to hide it in public but when the door is closed and he thinks he’s among like-minded people it’s just as nasty, ugly and stupid.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:24 am 23. David M. in Eurabia (formerly Europe):

From the early age I was fond of the English language. In order to improve my English I listened to a number of radio stations among them, the BBC. As time passed and I widened my thinking I came to a conclusion that I was listening to one the world’s most biased and poisonous radio stations. The BBC (I call it al-BBC both radio and TV) is not a news corporation but an indoctrination one. We have the BBC alongside Reuters, Guardian and Independent as mirrors of a sick, self-hating society and country siding with enemies of freedom and democracy. And I have my utmost contempt for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Associated Press, Washington Post and NY Times for the same reason. Long live the New Media!

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:27 am 24. Jonesy55:

lol, yes, this series was a warts ‘n’ all portrayal of the US and you might conclude that the warts have been given too much prominence but I don’t remember Mr Schama ever claiming that Britain or Europe was any better, indeed his ‘History of Britain’ series was made in a similar tone, wars and bigotry make more exciting television than people being nice to each other.

You guys just need to lighten up a bit, even on the ‘anti-american’ BBC you can find plenty of positive portrayals of the US if you want to look for them (Carol Gould prefers to look out for the more negative stuff), the recent Stephen Fry series was a good example, he seemed to like most of the places he went to and portrayed the people he met sympathetically.

If I tilt my ear to the west and listen closely I can hear the sound of thousands of knees jerking furiously as commenters descend onto their keyboards ready to condemn all 700 million Europeans as evil jew-killing commie anti-american leftist losers who spit on black people and keep immigrants in ghettoes simply because Simon Schama made a TV programme they didn’t like (even though they haven’t seen it).

Such is the world though, ho hum.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:48 am 25. David H:

David M, here here! And I agree oin the Eurabia bit.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:50 am 26. Jonesy55:

“The three BBC series have been Professor Simon Schama’s The American Future, Stephen Fry in America, and Louis Theroux’s Law and Disorder in Philadelphia. A single documentary by Channel Four’s Jon Snow has completed the national broadcasters’ orgy of scrutiny of the violent, racist, and thoroughly disorderly U.S.”

I would hardly describe those programmes as an “orgy of scrutiny of the violent, racist, and thoroughly disorderly U.S”, come off it Carol, Jon Snow ended up concluding that the US was uniquely innovative and that immigration would keep the country dynamic while Europe got older, Stephen Fry was overwhemingly positive and while Louis Theroux was in the tough underbelly of a US city, what’s wrong with that as part of an overall balanced list of programming?

Do you think that negatives such as the world of Philly drug dealers and gang members should simply be brushed under the carpet so that foreigners think they don’t exist? The British media is not paid to show infomercials for the US tourism authorities. Why should these programmes ONLY focus on the good, the media doesn’t do that for any other country on earth so why make the US an exception?

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:57 am 27. Eric R.:

Mary Jackson:

Your posts on this thread make you out to be a defender of the BBC. Given the sniping of the “BBC/Guardian Axis” on your own blog, this seems to show that your own dislike (dare I say “hatred”) of Carol seems to trump your disdain for the British left.

I think you need to step back for a moment and realize that the BBC/Guardian/Independent/Labour Party/NDP/Oxbridge Crowd/Trade Unions are your real enemy, not Carol.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:12 am 28. LynnS:

There are persons of all colors who have used racism to their advantage and profit both in practicing it and falsely accusing others of it. It has been a money and power game that everyone can play.

Europeans practicing US-bashing is a favorite game of theirs, since it serves the purpose of deflecting attention away from their own faults and foibles. They’re probably pissed because they thought the gold, silver and jewels coming back to them on ships was treasure, while those who set up homes here knew where the REAL treasure was. Too bad for them.

We know who we are, we know what we have done both good and evil and most Americans face it full on. What we have done and are doing wrong we admit to (most of the time) and try to make right, and what we have done right we try to continue. Some people don’t like us because of that and we should be thankful because sometimes it is good when others don’t like you.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:15 am 29. Eric R.:

Jonesy

If I tilt my ear to the west and listen closely I can hear the sound of thousands of knees jerking furiously as commenters descend onto their keyboards ready to condemn all 700 million Europeans as evil jew-killing commie anti-american leftist losers

Well, you’re way off base on that.

The actual population of Europe is about 450 million.

Otherwise, it’s basically accurate.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:18 am 30. Guido:

As French media philospher Bernard-Henri Levy said after Obama was elected, his election may have temporarily thrown a wrench into the “anti-American machine” (which likes to depict the US as the “world’s most racist nation”) but it will never go away completely. The BBC is like the bees at the end of summer. They know the gig is up, and they are coming out stinging wildly in an attempt to keep they anti-American mythology alive. I find it humorous that when euros talk about how “racist” America is, they have to dig 100 years or more into the past to find it. I can go back to 1998 to pull up yet another European ethnic cleansing.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:31 am 31. sonoffar:

Huzzah for PJM…Huzzah for the BBC…Huzzah for Carol Gould and Simon Schama!
They have combined their energies and resources to remind us all that if an audience is uneducated, uninformed, and unaware, they can be lead to react to any conglomeration of in your face journalism, including educational television, without the burdens of fact, truth, or understanding.
Do you recall American and World History? Do you have an educated grasp of current events? Do you understand the methods of mass manipulation?
How could you possibly care what this man and these people produce to make their livings? The whole mishmash of TV docudrama, outrage journalism, and knee jerk commentary is indicative of an audiance that simply doesn’t know any better.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:33 am 32. Mary Madigan:

Mary Jackson -

I’m often annoyed by the fact that the BBC is more pro-Saudi than al Jazeera, but this America bashing is too old-hat to be annoying. However, this statement is absurd

..he is an Englishman – Florida was too hot for him

Have you even been to Florida? Even in the summertime, the place is full of lobster-red Brits. I believe that it’s their favorite state to visit.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:34 am 33. Melvin Sherwood:

I have lived in Houston since 1976 and the only racism I have ever witnessed was anti-white and anti-Jewish on the part of Latinos and African-Americans.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:35 am 34. Heather Rhyn:

It’s interesting how “racist” Americans deal with down times versus “tolerant” europeans. It’s Americans today who elect minorities into office to try to fix their problems while europeans, as usual, blame minorities for all of theirs. Just google “Anh Cao” and “Jindal”. I don’t think the european media (or the US media for that matter) mention much about these people. It would throw their whole “racist America, image, especial the image they have of the South, way out of kilter.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:39 am 35. D. Papaccio:

Why doesn’t anyone ever do a series of documentaries about racism in Canada? Did you know that slavery existed in Canada 200 years along side the US? That Canada had racial segregation up until the same time it started to disappear in the US? Canada also had internment camps during WWI and WWII. The canadian camps were far more brutal too, where they destroyed the homes of Asians, Germans and Italians (during WWI it was Ukranians) forced them into hard labour and broke up their families. The US didn’t do that. The US policy actually allowed their businesses to stay open and they kept families together. The US also closed their internment camps 2 years before Canada. And the US government officially apologized to Asians before Canadian govt did. This is just “official” racism and does not discuss the racism that is as prevelant in canadians culture as it is in other western socities. Canada’s “melting pot” is very new compared to the US. Americans from my experience are less likely to thumb their noses at people from third world countries the way other western nations do, especially the brits! Sadly, these facts are not discussed even in canada. It seems the world is only concerned about what happens in the US, regardless of the shit piled up in their own backyards. Please read this for facts the BBC won’t make a documentary about: http://www.senatordonaldoliver.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=57

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:49 am 36. Eric R.:

Heather #34

On that same topic — while you mention two prominent Asian-Americans (in the USA, for you uninitiated Brits, the term “Asian” is actually a rather positive connotation, since it normally refers to Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos and Hindu Indians), it should also be noted that the most popular movie at the moment in the USA — Gran Torino – is about a bigoted retired factory worker who finds his neighborhood filled with Asian (Laotian) immigrants, and once he starts dealing with them, finds how much he likes them — the memorable line from the film is “Christ, I have more in common with these people than I do with my own kids”.

Most Americans — sometimes with prodding, sometimes not — will admit that immigrants often are better citizens than native borns — better work ethic, more law abiding, greater reverence for education, and often more religious — than native borns.

Maybe it’s the immigrants we attract vs. those of Europe, but it’s hard to see traditionally homogenous European countries with no immigrant tradition ever be truly accepting of them.

In that sense, France may even be ahead of the UK — after all, Sarkozy, while French-born, is the son of a Hungarian immigrant.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:52 am 37. Wally Lind:

That the BBC is an enemy of the united States is hardly a surprise, they have been behaving this way for a number of years. But the bottom line is, they are a bunch of foreigners, who cares what they think? They are and always have been jealose. They can take a hike!

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:00 am 38. Brewster:

34. Heather Rhyn,
That is interesting about Louisiana electing into office a Punjab Indian and a Vietnamese-born man to represent them, when they look nothing like the majority. It seems the southern US has progressed faster than the UK and most of Europe, but you won’t get that perspective from reading liberal media. After Bobby Jindal won with more than 70% of the votes in 2007, I read a British blog and the comments quickly turned to how racist Louisianians they would never elect a Hindu into office—Jindal is a born-again Christian. To the Left America can’t win for trying! Goes to show just how endemic antiAmericanism is.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:03 am 39. Anonymous:

Jeez, and you guys say that Europeans are ignorant about North America, lol

The European Union alone has 500m residents.

Germany 82.2m
France 64.4m
UK 61.0m
Italy 59.6m
Spain 46.1m
Poland 38.1m
Romania 21.5m
Netherlands 16.4m
Greece 11.1m
Belgium 10.6m
Portugal 10.6m
Czech Rep 10.4m
Hungary 10.0m
Austria 8.3m
Bulgaria 7.6m
Denmark 5.5m
Slovakia 5.4m
Finland 5.3m
Ireland 4.3m
Lithuania 3.4m
Latvia 2.3m
Slovenia 2.0m
Estonia 1.3m
Cyprus 0.8m
Luxembourg 0.5m
Malta 0.4m

EU Total 497.5m

By the time you add in European Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Norway, Switzerland, the nn-EU ex-yogo states you have approx 700m.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:11 am 40. Vikram D.:

Brewster 38,
I came across a similar-sounding blog a few months ago while researching Gov. Jindal. Being an Indian-American (my parents came from Bihar in India to Chicago in 1974), I was interested in both his election and the reaction from Indians. To my surprise (although I shouldn’t be at this point), the people expressed in letters the same sentiments that you came across. They all condemned the people of Louisiana for not eleccting a Hindu. Despite all the clear evidence that the Louisiana voters were color blind, electing a man by 73% in a state with the less than 3% Indian. It doesn’t help that Jindal is a Republican. To the Left being Republican negates one’s minority status.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:15 am 41. jonesy55:

“Have you even been to Florida? Even in the summertime, the place is full of lobster-red Brits. I believe that it’s their favorite state to visit.”

So what? Does that mean that this one guy has to like the state? Florida is way down my list of US states to visit too, Oregon and Texas are much more interesting to me but are we not all entitled to an opinion? Is it compulsory for all foreigners to fawn over every single aspect of the USA if they want to avoid condemnation and scorn from the American public??

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:16 am 42. LynnS:

#36 Eric R.:

I’m glad you mentioned Gran Torino, because to me what that movie did was lift up Asians by contrasting them as better than his own children and just about everyone else he came across except for of course his barber. Never tick off your hair dresser. I guess it would have made a boring movie if Eastwood’s character had nice children and grand children he liked and found his Asian neighbors likable too.

Better this , better that, better this, better that, always knocking one down to lift another up. Now that you prodded me, I couldn’t help but notice.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:17 am 43. jonesy55:

“It’s Americans today who elect minorities into office to try to fix their problems while europeans, as usual, blame minorities for all of theirs.”

Any evidence for that Heather Rhyn? how exactly am I or a significant proportion of my fellow Europeans ‘blaming minorities for our problems’? If you want to say these things at least have the decency to back them up with something no matter how tenuous.

Such blatant anti-europeanism doesn’t do you any favours and just makes you look desperate to fling mud at us no matter what we do, think or believe.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:20 am 44. johnc:

Didn’t we have to bail Britain and France out of two world wars?? Then feed them and rebuild their economies?
Then keep the Russian bear from devouring them??
Sounds like a couple of has been countries crying over sour grapes.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:22 am 45. Mark:

How sad that the BBC makes antiAmerican documentaries, while Al Jazeera makes pro-American ones. Makes you wonder who are real friends are. Do you think the BBC would dare to air this? From Al Jazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081017111851521626.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081027860454934.html

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:23 am 46. jonesy55:

“while you mention two prominent Asian-Americans (in the USA, for you uninitiated Brits, the term “Asian” is actually a rather positive connotation, since it normally refers to Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos and Hindu Indians),”

Only in US usage, in British usage it usually refers to South Asians of any religion from either India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, (or more rarely Sri Lanka, Nepal etc).

An American friend of mine actually told me that Indians (as well as Pakistanis, Afghans, Turks etc) would definitely NOT be referred to as Asian in the US as this term was exclusively reserved for East or Southeast Asians. Maybe he’s wrong, maybe you’re both right and it depends on who’s speaking, who cares.

The term ‘Asian’ in the UK is neither positive nor negative, it just is. If somebody wants to be negative about ‘Asians’ they just call them ‘Pakis’ which has traditionally been used as an insult for not only Pakistani Brits but Indians of all religions too. The racists don’t seem to care about fine nuances.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:27 am 47. jonesy55:

“Americans from my experience are less likely to thumb their noses at people from third world countries the way other western nations do, especially the brits!”

Why ‘especially the Brits’? I haven’t beaten up a Vietnamese for several days now.

Seriously what makes you think that Brits are more likely to ‘thumb their noses up at people from third world countries’ than Swedes, Australians, Spaniards, Irish etc? I’m interested about what information you’ve been fed with.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:30 am 48. Selma:

35. D. Papaccio:

“Why doesn’t anyone ever do a series of documentaries about racism in Canada?”

Because no one cares about Canada. Canada could have a holocaust killing millions of minorities and it would get maybe a minimal writeup. The NY Times might even support it because Canadians are doing it!

I often wonder how the world would react if it were the United States, and not Canada, which conducted the world’s largest mass slaughter of wildlife butchering 300,000 baby seals a year with tax payer money? I think suddenly those in London and Berlin would become major baby seal activists. There would be anti-American riots all over the world. But Canadians do it and a mere few washed up B-rate celebrities denounce it, but nothing more.

This is why I snoff at most anit-American comments. They are based not on concern for issues, but only to debase the United States. If the BBC were concerned about racism around the world, then surely the last place you’d think they would need to come is the United States, especially after Americans elected a minority into the White House.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:32 am 49. Vikram D.:

43. jonesy55: “Any evidence for that Heather Rhyn? how exactly am I or a significant proportion of my fellow Europeans ‘blaming minorities for our problems’?”

Any evidence? You’re kidding, right?

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:35 am 50. Vikram D.:

A few have mentioned Gran Torino. This is another example of how self-reflective the US is. Europeans would never make such a film about themselves. The only films I see coming out of Europe and the UK in particular are those which shows race relations as rosy and sweet, like “Bend it like Beckham”. Americans perhaps exagerate their problems while europeans turn their heads from theirs. This could be in part why there is a such a strong stereotype that Americans are more racist than othes, although it couldn’t be more further from the truth.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:40 am 51. jonesy55:

“Maybe it’s the immigrants we attract vs. those of Europe, but it’s hard to see traditionally homogenous European countries with no immigrant tradition ever be truly accepting of them.”

Speaking only for the UK as it’s the European country I know best, the vast majority of immigrants and their descendents get along fine in society, Hindu Indians and Chinese people earn more and have higher qualifications than the national average, Sikhs and other European nationalities do well too, even Americans have integrated well ([joke]except Carol it seems[/joke]).

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:41 am 52. Mary Jackson:

So which is it? One minute we’re pandering to minorities as no-one else can. Next minute we’re thumbing our noses at them and blaming them for our problems.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:41 am 53. jonesy55:

“Any evidence? You’re kidding, right?”

No, not kidding, i’m just wondering why she thinks i’m blaming minorities for my problems whatever they are. Or the hundreds of millions of other Europeans like me.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:44 am 54. D. Papaccio:

Jonesey55,
if you seriously need “evidence” that Europe is a reactionary culture which blames minorities on its problems, then you need to either give up whatever it is you’re smoking, or pull you head out of your you-know-what–or maybe stop reading so much revisionist history which blames the US for you everything from your war in N. Ireland to intestinal gas. You know such a list of examples would be impossible since it’s infinitive. For starters, you might want to google “soccer hooligans” a term not used in the US since there are none. The US has no sports hooligans, nothing like the skinhead, fascist, neo-Nazis you have. And that’s just for starters.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:51 am 55. cedarford:

He notes that in 1886 the Statue of Liberty was installed, its lofty lyrics by Emma Lazarus extolling the virtues of immigrants, “as long as they weren’t Chinese.”

Leftists and Open Borders advocates love to say the Statue of Liberty is all about an Icon we accepted conferring moral authority on the notion of unlimited immigration SINCE a NYC Jew named Emma Lazarus later wrote a poem saying it should be so. No, it was about how America had preserved the goals of liberty and egalitarianism started in the American and French Revolutions. If anything, it extolled how America and France forced immigrants they let in to assimilate.

In the episode taken up with an overview of faith, Schama seems disgusted by the “primitive Baptists in Virginia with their droning song” and is “taken back centuries.” He also tells us that the University of Virginia has no chapel and no college of divinity because its founder, Thomas Jefferson, was a man of enlightenment.

Simon Schama’s parents were Jewish refugees. I have always been negatively impressed with the ease and vigor by which many Jews vigorously slime the American Christians and all but assign a scale of inferiority and ignorance that places white Southern Bapists and Evangelicals on the bottom – and puts “Noble African Liberationists, AME, and Black Christian Separatists at the “mainly redeemed through their pure goodness” at the top of a sorry lot.

I remember Sandra Bernhard railing against Sarah Palin as one of the worst of ignorant Christianists in front of a howlingly appreciative audience at the DC Jewish Center. Saying Palin should be gang-raped by blacks she could summon up and that Palin had no business doing anything with a Bible that “her kind” had nothing to do with creating or even understanding, only “us Jews here”.

And how later when Bernhard’s comments were uncovered and caused a flap, the Israeli-citizen director of the DC Jewish Center defended them – said her comments were all in good fun and Bernhard “knew our Heart, and she is our heart”.

I think I get it. Christian-bashing is a legitimate pastime of snotty British Jews they can write free of fear of any blowback (for now) and aetheist Oxford poofters on BBC. Or the same from Jewish comics and Jewish academics and Hollywood writers always casting the religious Christian as the villain in their screenplays, and Jewish crowds here.

But if the shoe is ever on the other foot? Bigotry! Intolerance! Racism! Anti-Semitism!

Had Bernhard been Benford and castigated Jews then had a funny piece in front of a howlingly approving Southern White audience about Obama being gang-raped by white thugs, she would never have worked a single day of comedy in front of an audience again.

We all know that.

Had Simon Schama been Sean O’Shannessey from the UK and wrote how he looked down his nose at “primitive Black Churches that take you centuries back into the jungle” and mocked insular, materialistic, backwards neighborhoods of NYC Jews – a media firestorm would have erupted and Sean’s career as a wise author and media favorite would be finished and his academic career in the US and UK destroyed.

We all know that.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:53 am 56. Your Boss:

They all condemned the people of Louisiana for not eleccting a Hindu.

The folks in LA probably didn’t even know Jindal’s religious preference.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:54 am 57. seguin:

People who whine about Texas’s independence and eventual annexation don’t know the actual history – they just know the narrative. Since the scope of American history is actually outside the experience of Europeans and pretty involved even with the short time span, it’s not surprising that they fall WAY off the track of fact…As a Texan, I don’t know any nationalists…though the more the Dems screw up the Federal Government, the more sympathetic I am. It sounds as though they went way out of their way to find a crazy then smeared the rest of us with him…although I’d actually have to see the clip to make a judgement. Mostly though, from what I remember of British media, it’s 40% bullsh*t, 40% tabloid crap, and 10% irrelevant information.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:56 am 58. Keven C.:

45. Mark:

How sad that the BBC makes antiAmerican documentaries, while Al Jazeera makes pro-American ones. Makes you wonder who are real friends are. Do you think the BBC would dare to air this? From Al Jazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081017111851521626.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081027860454934.html

Thanks, Mark, for those great links! I had no idea about it! It’s amazing! Love it!

Brings to mind a comment from a British journalist for some British newspaper who said it was embarrassing for him that his own country’s BBC deliberately refused to mention the US role in rescuing the tsunami victims from 2004, while even the Chinese communist and Al Jazeer mentioned it in a positive way.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:58 am 59. jonesy55:

“Europeans would never make such a film about themselves. The only films I see coming out of Europe and the UK in particular are those which shows race relations as rosy and sweet”

You probably need to bear in mind that ‘what you see’ and ‘reality’ are two very different things.

Not everything is rosy and sweet in ‘my beautiful launderette’, ‘east is east’ etc

The idea that savage and arrogant Europeans are not capable of self-reflection like noble and self-critical Americans is frankly a joke to anybody who knows anything about European society. Go to any European bookstore, read any European newspaper, watch European television and you will see self-criticism piled upon self-criticism.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:01 am 60. Xylo:

Vikram;

This chap is mayor of a small New York town. He is a Sikh. There are probably people who object to that too.

http://www.indusbusinessjournal.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=A65971C3DE8B486EB3C4C49BD78C86C9&AudID=5F8409F8848E44F1A3A0B5072D3F214D

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:05 am 61. Blackwell:

Oh my, ANOTHER piece lamenting positions taken by a bunch of lefty Brits? Can we not beat up on the limey poofters every week? Are you just TRYING to harass Mary Jackson? In my most humble opinion, your attention –and the attention of all your readers including the Brit-bashers that come out for these like brick thowers at a US embassy–would be better directed to:

(1) US Mainstream television networks, which would be embarrassed to show anything good about the US, since that shows a total lack of sophistication; why not analyze them instead of seeking a veneer of sophistication by looking at something in Europe?

(2) US History textbooks: state teachers associations show their sophistication by lambasting the US for every sin, real or imagined, while ignoring the core, the ideals and the realization. So when we fall short of ideals, its endless hand-wringing: are blacks freer here than anywhere else? So what! Let’s ignore that and dwell on the earlier times. Do Asians do awfully well here? Ignore that and focus for pages on the lamentable but understandable internment in WWII. The old textbooks were big boosters of the US as they ought to be. The new ones are terrible–barely readable and no coherence except that the US seems to have done something to be ashamed of. That is something worth looking into.

Its a shame that the Brits have to listen to the BBC which is teribly skewed about the US, but its hardly any different than our own PBS and MSM.

And what is the surprise? The self-annointed elites always detest democracy, show a distinct tropism toward left-wing dictatorhsips and bearded “romantic” left-wing killers. They laugh at “boring” Presidents like Eisenhower (who left a good economy and called out the national guard to integrate schools).

I think these pieces would be better directed at US sources of such nonsense.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:08 am 62. Eric R.:

jonesy55

An American friend of mine actually told me that Indians (as well as Pakistanis, Afghans, Turks etc) would definitely NOT be referred to as Asian in the US as this term was exclusively reserved for East or Southeast Asians. Maybe he’s wrong, maybe you’re both right and it depends on who’s speaking, who cares.

Here in NJ, where the largest Asian ethnic group is Indians (they are 5% of the state’s population, and about 15% in the town where I live), the term refers to both East/Southeast and South Asians.

In any case, regardless of which Asian ethnic group you’re talking about, in schools here they outperform most of the white kids — with largely only the Jewish kids keeping pace.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:12 am 63. Michael I.:

There’s never an “in depth” analysis of British problems in the US media the way the Brits like to analyze American culture. The one time an American tried to showcase the problems of Briain, it nearly coast the correspondent his job. In 2003 the UN came up with a new study that showed that the UK had the highest violent crime rate in the western world, far higher than in the US (violent crime includes rape, robbery, assault, etc.). Dan Rather mentioned the report on his CBS nightly news report and aired a small piece on UK’s culture of youth violence. It was met with such resistance, even the British parliament held a special session denouncing the piece. One tiny little piece aired in the US that is critical of the UK, and the entire world became unglued. Every anglophile in the US went balistic. Rather was forced to recant the piece! What a world!

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:18 am 64. glenn:

Well, where to begin?, the reason the BBC and the rest of the Euros who bash the US do it is because they can. There aren’t any quickly apparent consequences. Bash the Muslims (or simply tell the truth about them) and s**t starts blowing up. Bash the Russians and they cut off the gas. Can’t bash the Chinese ’cause if you do there aren’t any cheap DVD players. Bash the US and we either consider the source and ignore it or bend over and say “Thank you sir, May I have another”. I know that a lot of people in the US get irritated by some pi**y little Norwegian UN hack saying the US didn’t do enough after the tsunami, while US military personnel were risking their lives to really help and the US put up more voluntary aid money than all the rest of the governments in the world combined. And made sure it went to people who needed it not a bunch of UN hacks sitting around in luxury hotels. But like I said consider the source. The really interesting thing for the Euros is whose skirts are they going to hide behind when they figure out what Robert Gates meant when he went over there last year and why he’s still sec/def. Gonna be fun to watch.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:19 am 65. kywrite:

Did Schama do any primary research at all? When I visited the Alamo a couple years ago, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that a large fraction of the defenders were Hispanic Texans — people who did not consider themselves to be Mexican, but who certainly shared those ethnic roots. The Texas war was one of independence from Mexico — not racially or ethnically motivated, but rather fought by Hispanic Texans – Tejanos – and American immigrants alike to free themselves from the oppressive government of Mexico, AND initiated by Tejanos (don’t believe me, then look it up), not the Anglo Texians. The atrocities there were committed by Santa Ana’s army of conscripts and criminals, under his orders; the few who surrendered at the Alamo were summarily executed, after Santa Ana, well before the battle, ordered no quarter given.

I can’t speak for many of the other items up there — but I can say that Asian-Americans don’t bitch about their ancestors, but rather honor their memory by excelling at academics and capitalism. Good for them.

And — African slaves were not introduced by the British, but rather by Dutch slavers, who did the bulk of the trade in humans (mostly Africans from the interior sold to them by other Africans) until America outlawed the import of Africans in the early 1800s. The Spanish did beat them, though, by enslaving every Native American they could find.

If our British friends are going to try to beat America up with the history stick, is it too much to ask that they get it right? Normandy Beach, anyone? Cold War? Or — what about the British support of the American Confederates because they needed that cotton to keep their mills going? Ain’t nobody not tarred with the slavery and oppression brush, regardless of color, ethnicity, or national origin.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:20 am 66. liamascorcaigh:

As an Irishman I know that the Brits’ default reaction to evidence of their inferiority is supercilious snideness and a kind of denatured moral smugness. America for this reason is the favourite target of their sneers. I am reminded of Willie Yeats’ masterful description of the sensation the legendary lover Don Juan made upon the inhabitants of Hell:

Once, when midnight smote the air
Eunuchs ran through Hell and met
On every crowded street to stare
Upon great Juan riding by
Even like these to rail and sweat
Staring upon his sinewy thigh…

Take Schama’s vitriol for what it is, the highest form of compliment an Englishman can pay a foreigner!

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:23 am 67. Still Bill:

To kywrite: Well-spoken. Amen.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:39 am 68. tim maguire:

“Mark Anthony Green, who insists many Americans think Barack Obama is less than human. Yes, true in redneck country”

Excuse me?

While I agree with your take on these Brits who try to turn the harsh light of reality away from British shortcomings by reveling in America’s, frankly, Gould, I’m not so impressed with you. Voting for Obama is a sign of non-racist thought? Yeah, I brought a pen to the voting booth and wrote in Hillary so I must be a racist. I couldn’t possibly be troubled by Obama’s lack of experience or oppose his ideas. Must be the skin color. The distant descendants of all pre-civil war whites have the blood of slavery on their hands? Really? All of them?

The Europeans’ problem is that they are so damned narrow minded. Their nationalism is brutally violent, so everybody’s must be. We admit our history of racism and they don’t, so ours must be worse than theirs. We get more criticism so we must be more criticism-worthy.

Feb 9, 2009 - 11:24 am 69. Mary Jackson:

As an Irishman I know…

Right.

Feb 9, 2009 - 11:30 am 70. Martge:

Gee that’s sour grapes for you…are they still teed off that a little old nation like the 13 colonies beat the crap out of them and won our independence.

By the way….I don’t see any…I have not seen one….black person in the royal family, no kings no queens or princes or princess, none in the House of Lords or I have never seen a black person as a Prime Minister…..I must not be looking hard enough can any of you point them out. I mean they are not a bunch of racist over there, now are they. We with our black president are poster people for racism.

Feb 9, 2009 - 11:40 am 71. Mary Madigan:

Have you even been to Florida? Even in the summertime, the place is full of lobster-red Brits. I believe that it’s their favorite state to visit.”
So what?

So, hating the heat in Florida is not a quality that all “Englishmen” share.

As an Irishman I know…
Right.

Indeed

Feb 9, 2009 - 11:51 am 72. Doggy Dog:

Everything about America is politicized even the most mundane. Try and find a foreign report on America’s sports without hearing vitriol against us for daring to use the word “World” in our World Series baseball championships. They use this as proof we’re fascist. Even travel programs and travel books about the US are laden with crap about our alleged racism and violence, as if it doesn’t exist anywhere else. I remember once as a kid watching a BBC program on PBS about exotic world travels that seemed to make even light of Sicily’s culture of death and violence, yet when the program came to the US, it was loaded with stories about how Irish Americans are responsible for the war in Northern Ireland and about how blacks in the US suffer and how the Hawaiians want to secede from the evil, oppressive US. This was over 20 years ago and nothing has changed. The world and the british in particular must look at the US through shit-smeared glasses. The Left in the US does the same thing. Can you imagine an American program treating europe or canada with the same hateful prejudice?

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:00 pm 73. Blackwater:

Agree with #22. I love the South. I grew up hating them even though I technically am a Southerner. I remember learning about the American Civil War when I was like 10 and being ashamed and shocked that my home state wasn’t only on the side of the “kill all the slaves” South but Virginia was the CAPITAL of the South during the Civil War. I couldn’t believe it.

But then I finally decided to take a road tripe to the deep South in high school and loved it. The people there are so friendly and the Southern girls were sexy as hell. I was also surprised to see how happy black people were living there. I thought there’d be rapant racism in the South because that’s what i saw in the movies. But I saw zilch. White people and black people got along just fine.

And in fact the worst racism I’ve ever seen (which I just remembered) was this kid I met from New York City of all places. He bragged about how he “hated niggers” and “I love flashing my switchblade at them”. He was a guido type. So if anything the North is a hell of a lot more racist than the South in my experience despite the common myth saying otherwise. I even remember watching a news report of black people moving back down to the South in droves because they like the culture more there. Imagine that.

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:08 pm 74. Heather Rhyn:

“Can you imagine an American program treating europe or canada with the same hateful prejudice?”

No, I can’t. For one thing it wouldn’t get an financial backing. But it also makes me wonder just what it is that europeans hate so much about Americans when we seem to go out of our way to make them look so good.

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:11 pm 75. Brewster:

I loved reading the BBC program guide Carol linked to. “What is an American?
Simon looks at the bitter conflict over immigration in America.” The “bitter conflict”?? You got to be kidding! Compared with what country? And this one is even more precious: “American Fervour Simon explores how faith has shaped American political life” I love the word “fervour” used by the BBC. This from a country that is bending over backward to accommodate the most radical elements of Islam. The Brits will be still portraying the US as a radical Christian nation even while they are living under Sharia! It’s too funny!!!

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:19 pm 76. JoshC:

It’s a bit strange adding ‘Stephen Fry In America’ to your list of negative programmes about the US, it was a travelogue that took a fond light-hearted look at life in every state in America.

Schama’s programme yes (it was basically produced as an election broadcast for Obama anyway), Jon Snow definitely (Channel4 hate the US), Louis Theroux… beginning to stretch the point a bit since it was no worse than anything already covered by HBO’s The Wire but Stephen Fry? He spent the entire series saying how brilliant everything was and is on record as saying he loves your country.

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:26 pm 77. Sheila W.:

It must be sad for the british to live in one of the few remaining western nations that still clings to antiAmericanism as means to have any self worth. Even the French have dropped such attitudes post Nov. 4. One of the reasons why I dumped Britain years ago for sunny USA.

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:29 pm 78. W.Tolm.:

what the media is accomplishing in every society on earth is turning us into rabid animals. Why do we allow them to play us this way? All we have to do is shut off the TV or cancel our magazine and/or newspaper subscriptions. Most people in the US know that what they get from the media is hogwash, I can only assume so do most british people. Carols is playing up the hype in the same way the BBC programs she’s denouncing are. They are both part of the problem, and so are we for allowing them to get our goats.

Feb 9, 2009 - 12:57 pm 79. Mary Jackson:

Stephen Fry? He spent the entire series saying how brilliant everything was and is on record as saying he loves your country.

Exactly. But Ms Gould is demented and irrational.

Feb 9, 2009 - 1:06 pm 80. Viv Smith Down Under:

Most of the comments from the people who have actually seen the programmes say they are rather pro-American; I will have to takle their words for it since I have not seen the shows. Although one has to wonder what “pro-American” means in today’s Britain. I lived there for two years — this was in 1991-1993 — and was stunned to say the least about the amount of hostility there was there toward Americans and their society. I only imagine it’s much worse today. I personally love Americans, their culture and the gifts they have given the world in many forms, the lastest being Obama. I don’t think British culture could allow for an Obama in their midst. Is there a BBC series about that? Anyone know?

Feb 9, 2009 - 1:19 pm 81. Mary Jackson:

don’t think British culture could allow for an Obama in their midst.

That’s where you’re wrong. Been there, done that. His name is Tony Blair. Hailed as the great messiah of change, he brought nothing but disappointment.

Obama is probably the new Tony Blair.

Feb 9, 2009 - 1:43 pm 82. Rotwang:

Tell you what. If we want the international media to stop mocking the United States, we should consider becoming a somewhat less ignorant, narcissistic and ripe-for-parody version of what we all “think” we are.

America has become a pathetic clown among real nations, the “Madness of King George” performed on an epic stage.

People will stop accusing us of being ridiculous, once we stop BEING ridiculous.

Feb 9, 2009 - 1:51 pm 83. Yuriy:

Oh, God, Mary Jackson! You’re not one of those euro-peons who’s trying to pretend that Obama isn’t black (or a minority, if you prefer) just so you can keep your fantasies alive that europe is ahead of the US in race relations, are you? Get real!

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:00 pm 84. Mark:

82. Rotwang:
I don’t think the US can stop being ridiculous until people like you move out. Take your fellow idiot Michael Moore with you. You’re a complete jackass.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:29 pm 85. Marie:

Don, don’t come back. We don’t need traitors like you. We have enough morons as it is.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:31 pm 86. Lynn:

I’ve never been an admirer of Europe. Their constant warfare (England and France, Spain and England, Italy and everyone else, etc;), the need to criticize the US, just jealousy.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:36 pm 87. Lynn:

Oh, and I just don’t really care if the UK or any other in Europe likes us or not.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:39 pm 88. Mary Jackson:

You’re not one of those euro-peons who’s trying to pretend that Obama isn’t black (or a minority, if you prefer) just so you can keep your fantasies alive that europe is ahead of the US in race relations, are you?

No. Obama is indeed half-white, as opposed to fully white. The US has yet to have a Jewish or female President, while the US has had a Jewish and a female PM.

My main point – obvious, I would have thought – is that, regardless of his colour, Obama is not the Great White Hope. He’s a light-weight, who has never done a proper job and has the gift of the gab. Just like Tony Blair.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:42 pm 89. Mary Jackson:

the US has had a Jewish and a female PM.

The UK, not the US. Obviously.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:43 pm 90. lee:

Yes, I’m sure in the 1880’s, the Chinese were treated like subhuman in the United States and elsewhere.

Fast forward to 2009, and things have gotten just a bit better for us Asian Americans.

I cringe when someone recalls the inquisition or the crusades to make a point about the church or European culture. I guess some Eurotrash are now returning the favor. Tsk.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:50 pm 91. Marie:

Mary Jackson is quite possibly the most demented person of all. Send her to the funny farm.

Feb 9, 2009 - 2:52 pm 92. Mary Jackson:

Mary Jackson is quite possibly the most demented person of all.

I am not so demented as to live in a country that I hate and that hates me for more than twenty years. That level of dementia I concede to Ms Gould. But perhaps there is method – or rather money – in her madness. Brit-bashing has proved a nice little earner for her.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:05 pm 93. Carol Gould:

75. Brewster — Thank you for taking the time to point out the irony in some of the links I provide. Schama seems to see every chapter in American history as a kind of struggle and conflict; since the time of the Civil War a small number of Americans perished on its own soil in non-military, civil strife (in other countries, Kent State would have seen hundreds of dead students) whilst it took 19 European-bred Muslim extremists to kill 3,000 people in one go.
91. Marie — Amen

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:06 pm 94. Jane:

hate or love the US, I simply do not understand the british obsession with everything American. I’m from Canada, and although we indeed have an inferiority complex, although not as massive as many Americans like to think, we still do not constantly berate the US to make ourselves feel good. My advise to the Brits: Get a life!

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:13 pm 95. TJ:

When will an American filmmaker make a documentary about “religious fervour” in Britain and throughout Europe? I would think it would be of particular intersest to Americans since most of 9/11 was plotted and planned on western European soil. Europeans seem to have very poor near-sighted vision.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:16 pm 96. TJ:

Mary Jackson, you are the queen of Irony. If one littly American can earn a living off “British bashing” then all the more power to her. It’s barely a ripple in the ocean of anti-Americanisms that are quite lucrative on every front, from artists to politicians. Oh, and of course it’s widespread representation makes it right, no? In my world it only proves how brainwashed people are. People like Carol Gould prove at least she can think on her own without the BBC form her opinions. Thank god for people like her!

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:20 pm 97. Avitar:

Neat! It is nice to see that the BBC as intent on wasting British tax payers’ money as Pelosi is on wasting our money. Maybe next they could do Andy Jackson and the fundamental principals for the Democratic Party, the preservation of slavery and the expulsion of the Indian. However, why Philadelphia, would not Chicago be much more topical?

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:22 pm 98. Mary Jackson:

19 European-bred Muslim extremists

Fifteen of the nineteen were Saudis. Your allies.

Demented or what?

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:23 pm 99. SukieTawdry:

Oh dear, where is Alistair Cooke when you need him?

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:41 pm 100. Carol Gould:

Mary Jackson:
I am paid $100 for each piece and this one took me over a month to research and write. My string of ilnesses including breast cancer surgery in recent years has made it impossible for me to work 9 to 5; my UK endowment and pension policies collapsed in 2003-04 but I slog away, borrow from friends and remain too proud to claim state benefit.
Am I anti-British? My book, ‘Spitfire Girls,’ about the heroism of the British women pilots is out in May from Random House-Arrow.
By the way, I love Glyndebourne, haggis, the Edinburgh festival, rose and violet creams, Lewes Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes parties, pease pudding, afternoon tea, fish and chips, black pudding, bread sauce, After Eights, Pimms, Maltesers, Marmite, Bovril, the Cenotaph, the Proms, Trooping the Colour, Burns Night, Radio Four, Big Ben, PM’s Question Time, ‘The Moral Maze,’ Lionel Blue’s ‘Thought for the Day,’ and Harrods, but the one thing British I loved the most was my decade at Anglia Television Drama working with the brilliant Britons there.
I have made many documentaries about the remarkable work and achievements of Britons.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:41 pm 101. JackT:

I don’t understand what the problem is with this. These things are true, right? Don’t go bashing the British, that’s our heritage.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:48 pm 102. Marie Claude:

Johnc,

“Didn’t we have to bail Britain and France out of two world wars?? Then feed them and rebuild their economies?”

umm, only one WW, cuz for the first Germans did bail us in spite of their will

Also had the Americans pilots been a bit more precise, they wouldn’t had be able to destroy all our bridges, railsways, harbours, our whole or part of most of our cities, except inner Paris, oh, I forgot, de Gaulle made sure that they couldn’t deliver Paris, cuz Patton wanted to make the revue of follies there, I dunno in what state we would have found the Bergères then !!!

http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&from=fulltext&full=brest&num_notice=4&total_notices=123

the bail out, ah yes, the Marshall plan, umm dunno if the soviet architecture would have driven 80 million tourists pro year otherwise !!! the plan was ment to rebuilt the infrastructures that the bombings dammaged !!! and to make sure that the business could restart with the capitalists, umm, coca-cola became a famous drink stuff, I tell ya after a rutabaga diet, it was like a small Jesus with a velvet costum that went through your throat !!! and so many other stuffs, movies, arms, yes, indeed we need arms to make a new war, where about, in Indochina !!!

so you see then Vodka never became our favorite drink, the fascinating babouchka didn’t came around, though the slavic charm was wellknown !!!

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:50 pm 103. Tonio:

I hate to think how anti-Americanism has harmed minorities in Europe for so many years. What? you say. Well, whenever anyone in Europe complained about racism they would get the typical line: “be happy you’re not in the United States; it’s much worse there!” I never understood how anyone could say comments like that and believe it. Did we really need Obama to prove otherwise? How about Oprah who 25 years ago was voted by American housewives as their favorite role model. But reality doesn’t mean much to the anti-American Left. I truly feel sorry for minorities in Europe who have been oppressed for so many generations by people who made these comments about America. Here is a quote from believe it or not the NY Times after Obama’s victory by one French immigrant: “They always said, ‘You think race relations are bad here in France, check out the U.S.,’ ” said Mohamed Hamidi, former editor of the Bondy Blog, founded after the 2005 riots in the heavily immigrant suburbs of Paris. “But that argument can no longer stand,” he said.”
Of course that argument can no longer be used, but apparently the elites in Euroland aren’t giving up so quickly, at lesat not without a fight. The BBC is nothing but pulp fiction run by closet racist snobs.
NY Times article:
\http://www.volkskrant.nl/achtergrond/buitenland/verkiezingenvs/article1139790.ece/AFTER_U.S._BREAKTHROUGH,_EUROPE_LOOKS_IN_MIRROR

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:51 pm 104. Mary Jackson:

If one littly American can earn a living off “British bashing” then all the more power to her.

Indeed. More power and more money. But let’s not pretend that it is impartial. Also, her unique selling proposition is that living here is intolerable. Yet she tolerates it – for a fee.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:55 pm 105. grammar cop's mom:

@ It is “their” failing socialist system. “their” is possesive. There is a PLACE, as in over THERE, and I hope they stay over THERE.

Feb 9, 2009 - 3:56 pm 106. Marie Claude:

Lynn:

“I’ve never been an admirer of Europe. Their constant warfare (England and France, Spain and England, Italy and everyone else, etc;), the need to criticize the US, just jealousy.”

that’s right, I am a fan of the american way of life, I was so eager to get a SUV, ya know my neighbours would be impressed !!!

Got to say though that the freedom fried have a rancid flavor ; can’t fit the hormonal beef with our wine that get troubled !!! umm I prefer to keep my cheeze !!!!

Feb 9, 2009 - 4:10 pm 107. Mario:

Tonio, great link thanks, but you need to get rid of that first back slash, it works without it. I am surpirsed the NY Times would dare report on anything negative about Europe. I guess since Nov. 4 it’s okay to portay the US in a fare light? Up until then, howerver, the NY Times read like a virtual travel brochure for Europe, Britain in particular. I do agree that anti-Americanism has harmed not just immigrants in other countries but also those who espouse such feelings, more than it has hurt Americans. It seems as a lazy excuse to not focus on one’s problems in one’s own backyard. And it has hurt many generations of immigrants in Europe for that reason. While racism continues to flourish it seems in europe with new reports of increased racism there, here in the US, even southerners will elect people of color to represent them. When box officer tallies show that Will Smith is the number one box office star in the US, it includes the south too. I am of Mexican descent and my experiences in europe is not one of tolerance. I was treated harshly and even prevented from entering stores in Britain and Norway, something that has never happened to me in the US. Yet, as funny as it sounds, when they find out I’m American, they take me aside and ask how difficult it must be for me to live in a country as racist as the US. They really have some twisted views of the US in Europe. I think many of those views sadly come from Amerians themselves, like insanse maniacs like Michael Moore and Hollywood in general. I’m curious, however: Are there any “pro-American” news organizations anywhere in Europe and Britain, or at least any that does not look at every world event by first saying “How can we blame America for this”? Please provide links if anyone knows of any.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:07 pm 108. xyz:

Did the BBC report mention that the “bigoted” people of Dallas elected a Latina woman as their sheriff who also happens to be openly lesbian? Oh wait! That would go against its agenda to portray the United States as a fascist evil oppressive nation, the state of Texas especially! I wonder what kind of treatment the BBC gives to countries like North Korea and Cuba. Glorified reports I’m sure! Geez, with “friends” like these we sure don’t need enemies! What did we ever do to those people for them to hate us so much?

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:22 pm 109. Zeph:

Britons who believe this (especially the writers) can enjoy their trip through delusionary-lane. They’re being like the individual who has a horrible life. They’ll bash on and attempt to berate what they’re jealous of to feel better.

But, within twenty years, we’ll see who’s still the free nation. We already have more freedoms than they do anyway. So let them have this. Reality’s going to reach them sooner or later when their mostly imprisoned and defenseless populace become prisoners of the Islamists with their eyes on the prize that they see in Britain.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:38 pm 110. UhOH:

Sign Petition to End Muslim Immigration
Goal is 50,000 and we need to get busy.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-Muslim-immigration

“No More Muslim Immigration” in USA
excerpt from therein:
“This does not refer to some “extreme” or “radical” form of Islam. Shari’a is a fundamental part of the mainstream Islamic faith. (Read more about it: Islam 101.) It is the duty of every Muslim to work toward establishing Shari’a wherever possible. This means an American who practices the Islamic faith fully must necessarily commit acts of sedition.
Furthermore, one of the basic tenets of the faith is that loyalty to Islam comes before loyalty to any government or country.
et us do the smart thing and stop Muslim immigration to the United States now. Join with us and sign this petition. And then urge everyone you know to sign it.”

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:39 pm 111. Richard:

Schama has written at least two outstanding books, ‘Citizens’ and ‘An embarrassment of riches’.We should judge him on these not a TV series.

Carol,
Disraeli was PM in the 19th century.

The UK has never had a real Fascist party.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:52 pm 112. DavidN:

This sort of thing, criticism of the United States in a cherry-picking fashion, is typical of academics, lefties, foreigners, and various people who love to tell you stuff about whatever they’re bashing, in a vacuum typically, without giving you any context or mentioning anything that mitigates the criticism. No one has ever intelligently argued that no American has ever been a racist, or that the country is without blame, but that doesn’t mean the whole place is racist and can be blamed for everything.

A few years ago I read a book. The author was a British journalist, and he had been assigned to Washington D.C., representing some form of media from Britain. He had been reassigned someplace else, and was granted a leave of absence from his job. He decided to wander America, meeting people and writing about what he saw. He told you all of this at the beginning of the book, and gave you the impression that he was going to wander semi-aimlessly meeting just random people who happened to be in his path. About a third of the way through the book, he lets slip that he did research before he left, and chose who to meet and what to write about. This led to him meeting snake-charming evangelicals in the Appalachians, separatists somewhere in the West, and various other strange people who in the author’s eyes represent America. To a native, of course, the country is unrecognizable from his description.

A similar, cherry-picking account of American racism is in the beginning of the World War II history book Flyboys. It’s a bad book on several levels, but the notable one is the author’s history of American racism, which (just as a for instance) uses the Sand Creek massacre as being representative of how Americans treated Indians all throughout the 19th Century. While Sand Creek happened, there were also battles between the Indians and Americans that were more even, and there were provocations by the Indians too. The author of Flyboys doesn’t mention any of that, just tells you about Sand Creek and how racist it was, and then moves on. So it’s not just Brits (though they do their share, apparently).

The trick of course is that history has a long narrative, one long enough that no one can read all of it. When one starts to distill that history into more readable accounts, it’s almost inevitable that the historian will leave out that which he doesn’t feel is necessary to repeat, while including what he feels important.

Feb 9, 2009 - 5:52 pm 113. HalifaxCB:

As soon as the Brits get a non-white head of state, I’ll start listening to their comments on racism. But right now it doesn’t seem likely, as the tatters of European royalty is pretty incestuous…

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:33 pm 114. AnnieB:

People who feel good look for the good in others.
People who feel that they are failing look for failure.

There is an old saying “What Peter tells me about Paul tells me more about Peter than Paul” – and the same goes for the BBC speaking about America.

Feb 9, 2009 - 6:50 pm 115. Dave:

This is a small, petty game. Take the history of any nation or region on earth, pick out the tragedy and mistakes, and then try to define them by it. In the case of too many Brits (and Euro’s in general), they consume it as a salve to sooth the irritation caused by their own problems and current systemic failures or to escape their own flawed history.

Those that engage in this inane nonsense diminish themselves.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:38 pm 116. D. Papaccio:

102. Marie Claude:
Typical knee-jerk Leftist response about your preicious cities being bombed by the US military during WW2. It’s a lame attack against your rescuers. It’s like blaming the policeman for pushing a woman down to the ground so that he can get a clear shot at the man trying to rape her. Oh, woops, did he tear her dress? We Americans are sorry we had to tear your dress while keeping you from being raped. Please forgive us. I just hope we Americans don’t make the same mistake and rescue europeans again.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:48 pm 117. Vikram D.:

Europeans passing judgement over Americans on any issue is like a serial killer passing judgement over a jaywalker.

Feb 9, 2009 - 7:53 pm 118. Paul:

Are people in the UK embarrassed by their media’s twisted images of the United States? I would be.

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:31 pm 119. Debbie Downer:

You’re kidding right? You mean even after Obama the Europeans are still trying to portray Americans as racist ogres!? Oh Lordy…

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:38 pm 120. Fred:

I’m going to make a documentary about how “Pakis” are mistreated in Britain, along with the Chinese, Poles, Roma, and Jews…. (I recently read somewhere that Northern Ireland is the most racist spot in Europe–last I heard Northern Ireland is still part of Britain, kinda like Mississippi is to the United States.) I can find dozens examples to prove my thesis that Britain is the western world’s most racist nation. Anyone care to back me? Do you think I could get PBS to air it?

Feb 9, 2009 - 8:46 pm 121. Marie Claude:

papaccio, my response was in the same vein as what was thrown at our faces !!!

I guess your rant is also of the same type !!!

funny how, finally, France (well I am glad that the UK is passing us now ) always becomes the “tagliatelli dish of the day” !!!

I f***g don’t care that you didn’t realise that you put a man that you dispise into the potus palace, he isn’t my president !!! he, or another one, mir ist es Scheiss egal !!! you’ll be still whinning after us, or may-be you will soon tell us that we took your hand for hallmarking your choice

Papa Ciao, please stay home, “Wild West” is on your screen !!!

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:41 pm 122. Bud:

Of course our ancestors were racist, every people that desire to live are “racist”, the Chinese are among the most racist people on Earth, hated all over Asia for their clannishness and general disloyalty. .”Anti-racism” has long been a code phrase for a hatred of whites (and the “anti-racism” campaign has also long been a class war by another name, a way for the Nomenklatura to pass the blame and the cost , a cost paid in blood, onto the lower and middle classes). Applying standards to whites that are applied to no one else is, of course, not just racism, but genocidal racism. One wonders if Mr. Schama includes among his examples of American racism the mass-murder of at least 75,000 whites, the mass-rape of perhaps 2 million whites by black criminals (with many children among the victims) and the ethnic cleansing of virtually every major American city since the 1960s? He might toss in Susan Sontag’s famous quote “The white race is the cancer of human history.” and explore the subject of how such ideas and beliefs among liberals (and among Jews like Sontag) helped contribute to the mass-murder and rape. He might talk of the impact of the Liberal media and explore the idea of whether or not .ignoring such crimes over a period of decades constitutes a war-crime. He might also explain his own silence on the subject.

Europeans parrot American political correctness, and the views Schama is appealing to are just reflections of the treasonous and racist views of our own media. Imagine a whole continent of people who believe such films as “A Time To Kill” and “JFK” are documentaries and you’ll understand the mentality you’re dealing with. I once read a post by a Frenchman castigating the U.S. because it hadn’t integrated its army until 1952 (actually he said ‘56). I pointed out to this lout that in 1952 France still had an empire and that empire wasn’t held together by tea and roses.

Feb 9, 2009 - 9:56 pm 123. Teleprompter Messiah:

Canada too had Chinese exclusion legislation. In fact, one can argue that Canada’s narcotic control legislation was enacted to penalize the Asian population’s use of opium.

Is Canada, then part of the British Empire, a shame on the face of the earth?

Twits. Pull the beam out of your own eye before talking about the mote in ours.

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:22 pm 124. Donna V.:

Mary Jackson, as I’m sure you know, Disraeli’s family converted to Christianity when he was a boy. It would have been impossible for Disraeli to become PM if he had not been baptised first.

Feb 10, 2009 - 3:50 am 125. Mary Jackson:

Mary Jackson, as I’m sure you know, Disraeli’s family converted to Christianity when he was a boy. It would have been impossible for Disraeli to become PM if he had not been baptised first.

Yes, I know that. But the US has yet to have a Jewish convert, so you’re still behind. And hell will freeze over before it elects a woman.

Feb 10, 2009 - 3:59 am 126. SGT Ted:

The “america is racist” meme is old Soviet Communist propaganda, used to try and foment class war and bring the Revolution here, as if other nations are innocent of such attitudes. Nevermind that most European nations are quite racist in their attitudes; look at how France treats it immigrant population. In the Ukraine, our group was told to not let the black guy go out alone into the city of L’viv as he would most likely wind up dead. Europe has nothing to say to us on matters of race. They often are worse in alot of ways.

Today, “white racism” is a grievance industry that enriches many demogogues by blaming whites for one’s problems, rather than emphasizing hard work and personal responsibility. Hence you get racists like Jeremiah White with a major church making millions in Chicago, all the while calling the country that enriched him the “US of KKK A” and other clowns like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton wondering if Obama is “black enough” and no one bats an eye.

Feb 10, 2009 - 4:36 am 127. Marie Claude:

Sgt, “look at how France treats it immigrant population”

look at how the immigrants treat us :

http ://www.racismeantiblanc.bizland.com/viols_racistes/03tableau.htm

http ://mysoupis.blogspot.com/2009/01/jacques-dit.html

Feb 10, 2009 - 6:45 am 128. Andrew:

These programmes do not reflect overall UK attitudes towards the USA. Most Brits love the place and the incredible culture that it has produced.

However, there is some envy and not all Brits have gotten over their post imperial superiority complex, but then plenty of Americans say silly fatuous things when in the UK, so I reckon it comes out about even.

You need to remember that the three men who made these progarmmes are products of the UK class system. Snow is the son of an archbishop, Theroux a person given a whoel BBC series -despite having no experience in film making or journalism – because his father is a famous writer and Fry is an exquisite example of the self consciously snobbish upper class liberal. All come from privileged backgrounds involving the magic circle of public school and Oxbridge.

Each would be off like a shot if offered a contract in Hollywood.

Feb 10, 2009 - 6:57 am 129. M.S.:

I’ve traveled to every continent except Africa. I’ve been to all 50 states, dozens of countries. I just returned from Vietnam and Cambodia. Before that I was in Russia. I had amazing time each place, and the people were pleasant and treated me almost as if I were a rock star for being American. In Russia, my Russian-born American friend who hadn’t seen family or friends was of less interest to them than me. In southeast Asia, the people were fun and openly expressed love toward Americans. Enter western Europeans. Wherever they are, wherever I run into them, they are sour, bitter and hostile, not just to me but to the locals as well, whether in Europe, the USA or anywhere I’ve been. The only bad experiences I ever have with my travels is with western europeans, the british and germans being the worst offenders. What is with you people? Are you really that angry at the world? Are you pissed because the world no longer sees you as the center of the universe? Get help!

Feb 10, 2009 - 8:37 am 130. Sheila:

“These programmes do not reflect overall UK attitudes towards the USA.”

Yes, but your tax money funds it. So you’re responsible for the content, in much the same way you and everyone else is responsible for their militaries. The BBC is the only major news organization in the western world dependent on public funding. It’s almost as embarrassing as for the UK as the royal family. Time for the UK to get with the 21st century, and for the brits to take responsibility for the garbage their country is dishing out to the world. The BBC has more blood on its hands for spreading hate than any military I can think of, including Stalin’s. The damage from the BBC is more widespread and destructive than people want to admit.

Feb 10, 2009 - 9:18 am 131. Mary Jackson:

BBC has more blood on its hands for spreading hate than any military I can think of, including Stalin’s.

Been taking lessons in hysterical hyperbole from Carol?

Feb 10, 2009 - 10:18 am 132. Guido:

Intersting reading the comments on the topic of european antiamericanism. It seems that when europeans express antiamericanism, it’s thought of as intellectual debate, but when the tables turn and Americans give a little back at them, suddendly we’re labeled ignorant fascists. What’s sad is that many Americans express such double standards against their own country. Just more reason to believe that antiamericanism is more a product of brainwashing than anything to do with “intellectual debate.” The BBC is much to blame for dumbing down the masses. Truly sad to see europe still needing to trash on America. Honestly I’m glad to see more antieuropean sentiment rise in America. Funny however that europeans always express shock when Americans do so. You can hardly expect us not after so many generations of your antiAmerican hatred.

Feb 10, 2009 - 10:52 am 133. Heather:

Any American who would talk to the BBC or any other european news media for that matter is a traitor.

I was in Atlanta when French media was all over the city during Obama’s inauguration prodding people into expressing some kind of racist comments to send back home. I think to their shock there was little of it expressed.

But I’m sure in true media fashion they were able to piece together something that made Americans look like racist monsters despite the general consenses that skin color doesn’t matter anymore. I truly detest Europe and the American Left for letting you get away with your bullshit.

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:00 am 134. Stew Pitt:

Can we all come to the conclusion that europe’s anti-american hysteria is a product of their mental illness and not ours and just move on?

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:07 am 135. Caryn Biggs:

My loathing for the UK and Europe is so complete, it feels almost peaceful, like a rush of warm water over my body.

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:13 am 136. Texas:

As a Texan, I can tell you this man is totally ignorant of Texas and its history. Has he ever been to Texas?? I doubt it. He would see that the Hispanic communities have total voting control and management over a good many areas of this state. Also, many Texans are Texicans, but Shama has no idea what that is, does he? He probably thinks we all ride horses here. LOL

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:26 am 137. Marie Claude:

“I think to their shock there was little of it expressed.”
OKKKAY !!!! and that makes it a truth LMAO

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:38 am 138. Marie Claude:

Stew, that is ment brain-stewing LMAO

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:42 am 139. Marc W.:

Brits are always trying to cause trouble for Americans. It’s nothing new. Their latest victim: Michael Phelps. Thanks, Brits!! Nice way to show your appreciation!

Feb 10, 2009 - 2:09 pm 140. Marc W.:

135. Caryn Biggs:

Ditto!!!

Feb 10, 2009 - 2:10 pm 141. Guido:

126. SGT Ted:

You are completely correct! What’s sad is western europe is really the last bastion where people still cling to age-old Soviet anti-American propaganda. Not even the Russians believe any of it. So much for living in a “free” society with a “free” press, right?

Feb 10, 2009 - 2:54 pm 142. LeftistsAreTheEnemy:

I can’t stand leftists, no matter what their country of origin.

Everyone had better prepare for WW3.

Feb 10, 2009 - 3:22 pm 143. Nancy Reyes:

Yup. The UK elite hate the US because we are descended from the scum who wouldn’t obey them: Working class Brits, Scots, Scots Irish and of course Irish (who they let die in the potato famine). And of course the Brits are projecting their own class hatred into America: their elite not only tell Jewish jokes but Irish jokes to prove their superiority…

Feb 10, 2009 - 3:28 pm 144. Nancy Reyes:

Jonesy said “Why ‘especially the Brits’? I haven’t beaten up a Vietnamese for several days now.

well, sorry Jonesy, but when I worked with British ExPat docs I ran into quite a lot of prejudice…not because I was a Yank but because my maiden name at the time was Irish…

They couldn’t believe I was a doc, since after all, aren’t all Irish drunken sots?

Feb 10, 2009 - 3:35 pm 145. tehag:

Let’s review the 20th century, shall we?

WWI – fought over the divine right of kings. 12 millions dead.

During the war: communism. Slavery returns to Europe. 30 million dead.

After the war: fascism. Millions more dead.

Then Nazism: more slavery, more death camps.

WWII – fifty million dead to save EUrope from itself. (Why we’d bother?)

After the war- more communism; more slavey, more death camps. Millions more dead.

Next time there is a war in Europe, let US fight on the anti-European side.

Feb 10, 2009 - 4:09 pm 146. Daniel Jackson:

Well, for whatever it’s worth, the base cultural stock responsible for America’s alleged racism has three notorious characteristics: white, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant. It is classic auto-correlation that the British see racism in its own spinoff.

Feb 10, 2009 - 4:29 pm 147. Vikram:

What’s shocking to me is the number of Americans who adore everything about Britain. They literally druel over it. I’ve only ran into a few Americans who hate is as much as I, and most of them are Latino or some dark skin color, no the anglo-American who can sometimes be clueless to europe’s general condescension of not outright disdain for people of color. I’m of Indian descent so I’m dark enough to have experienced their snobby attitudes. I think the average Americans’ naive attitude toward Britain (and Europe in general) is largely due to the US media’s failing to report on anything negative about Europe. France is a notable exception. But the only negative news coming out of Britain is usually white washed as if “jolly olde england” is a theme park; even the rare occasion the NewYork Times reports on Britain’s youth violence problem they describe them as little oafs having a good time, not fascist skin heads knifing people to death in record numbers. I will say that happily I have made a few anglophiles into converts by sending them links to stories like this and also the general news items from British news that never make it to the US (but if they had happened in the US would be front page news in Britain), stories such as “couple arrested for raping babies”. Charming britain…

Feb 10, 2009 - 4:59 pm 148. Marie Claude:

Next time there is a war in Europe, let US fight on the anti-European side.

you already prove it LMAO

“I recall you that Roosvelt was collaborating with the Vichy regime (which did had an US diplomatic representation) and nazy Germany until Germany sunk one of your merchandises ship !!! bizarre also with Stalin !!! as we say here it’s called soaking up at all the hayracks !!!or (running with the hare and hunt with the hounds)”

http://kimel.net/fdr.html

Feb 10, 2009 - 5:00 pm 149. Mary Jackson:

I’ve only ran into a few Americans …

Run, not ran, you illiterate.

Feb 10, 2009 - 5:12 pm 150. Bruce:

My only issue with the brits knick picking the US apart is that while they are doing this their own country is falling apart. Don’t you think they would be more concerned for their own backyards? They can’t be that blind to their serious domestic problems can they, including widespread racism? Unlike here in the US and France where there is the occassional race riot, Britain has race wars–full out white against whoever. Northern Ireland is another case. Where in the western world do people still set off bombs against each other over religious differences? Last time I was in Britain, 1995, I was stunned by the rudeness, open violence and general incivility, along with the poverty and dilapidated look of things. I’m sure it hasn’t improved much, not from what I read. I realize it’s an old country, but even Thailand is more modern in my opinion, so is Russia. Even with all the spit balls fired at us, America keeps moseying along, while Britain stagnates. Their hatred for America is doing them far more harm than us! It’s too bad they don’t see it.

Feb 10, 2009 - 5:14 pm 151. Heather:

“149. Mary Jackson:
I’ve only ran into a few Americans …

Run, not ran, you illiterate.”

Uh-oh! We’re resorting to grammar lessons! You know what they say about people who critique one’s spelling in message boards—they’ve RAN out of arguments. Умрите, сука!

Feb 10, 2009 - 5:40 pm 152. Mary Jackson:

Britain has race wars–full out white against whoever.

One the one hand we Brits are told that we pander to minorities. On the other hand the above. Which is it?

On the one hand we were appeasers until the great Uncle Sam saved our Limey asses in the war. On the other hand, we were “once Great” and have lost that spirit. Which is it?

On the one hand, Carol Gould hasn’t a good word to say for us. On the other hand, she is still here. Why?

Feb 10, 2009 - 6:02 pm 153. Jonesy55:

“My only issue with the brits knick picking the US apart is that while they are doing this their own country is falling apart. Don’t you think they would be more concerned for their own backyards? They can’t be that blind to their serious domestic problems can they, including widespread racism? Unlike here in the US and France where there is the occassional race riot, Britain has race wars–full out white against whoever. Northern Ireland is another case. Where in the western world do people still set off bombs against each other over religious differences? Last time I was in Britain, 1995, I was stunned by the rudeness, open violence and general incivility, along with the poverty and dilapidated look of things. I’m sure it hasn’t improved much, not from what I read. I realize it’s an old country, but even Thailand is more modern in my opinion, so is Russia. Even with all the spit balls fired at us, America keeps moseying along, while Britain stagnates. Their hatred for America is doing them far more harm than us! It’s too bad they don’t see it.”

I’m sorry Bruce but when you say clearly crazy things such as ‘even Thailand is more modern’ then it’s difficult to take you seriously.

People of different races generally get along well, I’m not saying that there is no racism, that would not be true but that is the case anywhere.

What really made me laugh though was the bit about ‘Unlike here in the US and France where there is the occassional race riot, Britain has race wars–full out white against whoever’. This makes it clear that you have no knowledge of what you are talking about. There were a spate of race riots in the early 80s which were pretty nasty, since then they have become much rarer and more localised, there has not been anything that could be remotely described as a ‘full out race war’, that is just a simple lie. Indeed the last that there was any major race-related trouble in Birmingham several years ago it was between the black and Asian communities, white people were hardly involved at all.

As for Northern Ireland, where have you been for the past ten years? the resolution of the conflict there has been a major improvement for this country, it’s a shame that you seem to be stuck in the 1970s and refuse to recognise that things have greatly improved.

In terms of poverty, yes there are poor areas, just as there are in your country, yes there are delapidated areas, just as there are in your country. Most of Britain’s major cities are much better looking than they were a couple of decades ago though, old buildings and waterways refurbished, lots of new construction, people actually moving back into the cities after decades of flight to the suburbs.

Feb 11, 2009 - 2:27 am 154. Jonesy55:

“Any American who would talk to the BBC or any other european news media for that matter is a traitor.”

lol, ok so that then includes people like John Bolton who are regularly appearing on news programmes on the BBC.

Do you not see how nonsensical and hysterical you are being?

Feb 11, 2009 - 2:30 am 155. Jonesy55:

“I’m going to make a documentary about how “Pakis” are mistreated in Britain, along with the Chinese, Poles, Roma, and Jews…. (I recently read somewhere that Northern Ireland is the most racist spot in Europe–last I heard Northern Ireland is still part of Britain, kinda like Mississippi is to the United States.) I can find dozens examples to prove my thesis that Britain is the western world’s most racist nation. Anyone care to back me? Do you think I could get PBS to air it?”

Go for it, however bear in mind that most Americans here seem to think that we are actually too nice to those you call “Pakis” and that we should be deporting them, fighting them or slamming them in prison.

Feb 11, 2009 - 3:03 am 156. Jonesy55:

“even the rare occasion the NewYork Times reports on Britain’s youth violence problem they describe them as little oafs having a good time, not fascist skin heads knifing people to death in record numbers.”

The vast majority of knifings are not committed by ‘fascist skinheads’ but by inner city youth gangs consisting of people of various ethnic backgrounds. The ‘fascist skinhead’ tag could probably be applied to some football hooligans but they don’t cause anything like as much violence as 20 or 30 years ago.

Interstingly you say that people are being knifed to death in record numbers. Of the 784 murders in England & Wales during the 2007-08 year, killing with ‘a sharp instrument’ was the most common method with 277 deaths, this has indeed increased by 35% in the past 10 years from 201 in 1998-99.

This rate of knife killing consistently makes headline news in the UK, it is considered shocking and many commenters in the US have picked up on that coverage as evidence of how Britain is a terrible and dangerous place.

What they don’t seem to have picked up on though is that 1,796 people were killed using knives in the USA during 2007. The USA has a population almost 6 times greater than England and Wales and yet has 6.5 times as many knife killings so the rate in the US is actually slightly higher than here.

The US media doesn’t seem concerned by this though and it doesn’t seem to be a major issue over there like it is here. Maybe one reason for this is that the knifings in the UK are the biggest problem when it comes to homicide but in the US, they are totally overshadowed by the vastly higher number of gun killings; 10,086 in the US during 2007 compared to 52 in the whole of England & Wales.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_07.html

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0708.html

So maybe you might like to take things like that into account before making such comments.

“I will say that happily I have made a few anglophiles into converts by sending them links to stories like this and also the general news items from British news that never make it to the US (but if they had happened in the US would be front page news in Britain), stories such as “couple arrested for raping babies”. Charming britain…”

If you spend your time deliberately trying to convert people to anglophobia by sending them links to news stories then maybe you need to get a hobby or something to occupy your mind more productively.

[sarcasm]Of course, there are no sickos in the US, no serial killers, no rapists, no child abusers, no gangs. Only in depraved Britain could you find such things.[/sarcasm] Feel free to return to reality whenever you like.

Contrary to your claims, I can’t remember a domestic US crime story ever being front-page headline news in the UK unless it had other angles (OJ Simpson, Phil Spector, Katrina, Rodney King riots etc).

Feb 11, 2009 - 4:32 am 157. Wemedge:

Agree with Carols’ insights. SHh needs to do a little research on names, though. It’s “1st Samuel,” not “1st Samuels,” (getting titles of books of the Bible always reveal ignorance of this foundational document of Western Civ., the worst offense being good old “Revelations” instead of “Revelation.” And it’s Charles FINNEY, not Charles FINLAY, who was the greatest evangelist of the 19th century (along with DL Moody- or is that “Moodys?…:) )

Feb 12, 2009 - 12:07 am 158. Paul -Indiana:

Jonesy55, [post 156] points out gun killings here in the US. It’s primarily criminals killing other criminals. We’re all for that.

Feb 12, 2009 - 8:35 am 159. Jonesy55:

Paul- Indiana

and knifings here are generally criminals knifing other criminals. However I’m not really for that, i’d prefer it to stop. It must say something about how ingrained violent guncrime is in the US if regular citizens think it is just a normal part of life and that it doesn’t really matter, indeed it is welcome.

Feb 13, 2009 - 2:12 am 160. Eggplant:

It would be really helpful if you put whether you had actually seen the series in your comments.

I did see the series, and I bought his previous series about the History of Britain. It was harsh and brutal and gave us all a wake up call about our history. It also celebrated what was good about britain, and reminded us that our history, as terrible as it was has brought us to this point.

It is exactly why he named the series about the US.. The American Future: A History.

I dont know a single person who watched it over here, that didnt feel like they understood american issues of racism, faith and politics were far more complex than the had estimated.

He never says, and we dont think we are better than you. Of course we have massive issues with immigration, with law and order, with the justice system, with politics, but were not some backwards banana republic either. Every country has problems, what is so wrong with saying it. And why are you having a go at Simon Schama, who is teaching us brits why you do things the way you do, and maybe we can learn?

The one feeling that worried me the most whilst I was there last time, was the sense that you were never allowed to criticise the US… despite its healthcare issues, despite its immigration and racism issues, despite its social care issues. Any criticism of the US was met with derision, and the attitude of “if you dont like our country, get out”.

In Europe… anywhere you go in Europe, we have the attitude of “if you dont like our country, help us make it better”, forgive me for thinking ours is both more humbling and more productive a belief.

We make documentaries about the US because it is the richest and most powerful nation in the world, and we recognise there is alot we can learn from you.

Aug 8, 2009 - 12:13 pm

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